HAPPY MAKAR SANKRANTI!
Today, in India we are celebrating the holiday of Makar Sankranti. This is a festival celebrated all over India, although each district has a unique way of celebrating. Here in the district of Maharashtra, it means spending time with your family, kite competitions, and sweets (called ladoos).
Since it was a special holiday, the girls dressed Katherine in a traditional sari. She looked beautiful and received many compliments when we went to town!
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| Katherine in a sari. |
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| Katherine and some of her helpers. |
We bought two kites for the children of Nav Jeevan to share. Little did we know that Makar Sankranti is a kite competition! The children fly kites, attempting to cut the strings of their opponents. Then, the kids run for the loose kite. Needless to say, with a team of 50 students and a neighborhood full of kids, we ended up with a ton of kites.
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| Kids attaching string to one of the kites we bought, which features Bollywood celebrities. |
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| Team work makes the dream work! Kites seem to be fun for all ages. |
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| Flying kites is serious business for some students. |
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| It always takes a few children to get the kite up in the air. |
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| It was a perfect day for kites - no clouds, 80 degrees, and just the right amount of wind. |
At the end of the day, a family that lives by Nav Jeevan invited us to come to their home for conversation (and ultimately sweets). They were very generous and explained to us that Makar Sankranti is also a celebration of the new year and new beginnings.
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| Katherine and I after our visit with the family. We are holding berries they gave us, which are a favorite of the children and can be found growing all over Godni. |
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| A photo of the family that invited us into their home. |
Katherine and I look forward to our new beginnings here in India and wish everyone in the United States a Happy Makar Sankranti as well!
